This is a translation of the chapter Zastawna,
Geschichte der
Juden in der Bukowina
{History of the Jews in the Bukovina}
Edited by: Dr. Hugo Gold, as told by Jakob Stenzler, Hadar Josef, Olamenu
Publishers, Tel-Aviv, 1962 (German).

The rapid rise and the economic blossoming of the municipality of Zastawna in
Northern Bukovina was undeniably due to its Jewish inhabitants. Twenty-nine
surrounding villages in which Jews lived and worked belonged to the Jewish
community
[1]
of Zastawna. Numerically, they were in the minority, the majority of the
inhabitants being Ruthene, who were almost without exception occupied in
farming, but thanks to their economic position, the Jews were very important.
Almost all the large estates were in Jewish hands. The large sugar factory
belonged to Marcu and Dr. Max Fischer, the alcohol factory and motor mill,
incidentally, the only large industrial concern similarly belonged to Jews.
Among the most notable of the estate owners was Hersch Weissglas who had been
distinguished with the title, Advisor to the Kaiser, and his son
Siegmund Weissglas, who was the first president of the Regional Zionist
organization in Chernivtsi. To them belonged the estates Zastawna, Lenlioutz,
Willawcze Bila, Odaja, Scherschiziowce, Sloboda Zloty, Plitinitza, Stinka and
Zidiwaka Dolina, which later came into the possession of the niece Nora
Gutherz. Other estate owners were Mordko Korn, who owned the estates Szypenitz,
Alt und Neu Werenczanka, Perzelowka and Draczinetz; Marcu and Dr. Max Fischer,
the owners of six estates; Kisiel Socal: Emanuel Baumann; Janku Fisher;
Bernhard Korn; Leon Korn; the scholarly rabbi's son Babad; Simche Bartfeld;
Aron Hager and Mendl Jekeles. In addition to the Jews who owned large estates,
there were many whose profession was large scale farming, among others, the
author of this essay. When one considers that based on Austrian law, the land
owners had many prerogatives, it is easy to understand the superior political
position of the Jews in the Zastawna district. For a long time, the Talmud
scholar, and Zionist, Berl Waldmann, whose son, Dr. Moses Waldmann, a childhood
friend of the author of this report was press chief at the first Zionist
congress in Basel. served as estate area administrator

Siegmund Weissglass was the first and only Jewish mayor of Zastawna. In most
cities in which a Ruthene was at the top of the city administration, the deputy
was a Jew. In Zastawna, for many years, the deputy mayor was druggist Emil
Schecht, in Zwiniacze, it was the alcohol distiller, Elias Gottesmann who was
known to the Ruthene farmers as Wajko Elio (little uncle Elias), in
Kadobestie, the land owner and Propinationspaechter
[2]
Abraham Sternberg, the father of the Revisionist leader, Dr. Benzion
Sternberg. In Wassileu, Mendl Teitler who had been awarded the silver service
cross with a crown; in Pohorloutz, the land owner Hersch Weisinger; in Okna,
the Propinationspaechter Itzig Gaertner; in Kissileu, the land owner and
Propinationspaechter Ksak Bickel, the father of the New York journalist, Dr.
Shlomo Bickel. Almost 75% of state employees were Jewish. To name some:
Government Commissioner Robert Schletter who functioned as a district captain,
a unique position for a Jew at that time, the Presidential Secretary Sigfried
Weintraub, Regional Court Counsel Dr. Leo Rosen, also the only Jewish court
director, the Presidential Secretary Siegmund Stenzler, Inspector of the Court
Office Tamler, Land Register Administrator Zwerling, Court Officials Bibring
and Lapajowker, Court Clerks Wender, Kirschner, Singer and Halpern, Officers of
the Court Leo Warmflasch and Finkelthal, Surveyor Schottenfeld, Evidence
Registration Inspector Josef Stadler, Surveyor Sponder, Police Commander Salo
Rosenberg, who became postmaster in Boroutz, Tax Administrator Gredinger, the
Tax Official Jaslowitz, Adjuncts Lublin, Lilian and Eisenfraft as well as
Postmaster Augenblick. The war hero, Hersch Frischling (Chrupki) who won the
Great Gold War Medal in the Bosnian campaign, was highly respected in the town.

The community was the most important influence in the political life of the
Jews of the district. For the election of the community president, the position
of the Zionist Association, led by the pharmacist, Emil Schecht was
influential. The Zionist Siegmund Weissglas, who Herzel repeatedly mentioned
flatteringly in his diary, running against the estate owner, of Doroschoutz,
Nathan Goldenberg, was elected president His private secretary was Jakob
Stenzler. There was a Frauenhilfsverein (ladies aid organization)
in the town, lead alternately by the ladies Rosa Safrin, Bronela Neumann, Mina
Stenzler, Pepi Schecht, Rosa Diwer and Anna Silberbusch which concerned itself
with the construction and maintenance of a ritual bath. Mrs. Mina Stenzler died
in Israel at the age of 103.

In 1905, the Zionist organization sent its members, Dr. Kinsbrunner and
Herzberg from Chernivtsi as well as Jakob Stenzler from Zastawna to the nearby
Galician city of Zaleszczyki in order to campaign for the Reichsrath
[4]
candidacy of Dr. N. Birnbaum. His opponent was the Polish Graf Mojsey, who was
supported by Anti-Zionists under the leadership of Mayor Dr. Isidor
Blutreich. The Zionist delegates couldn't do anything against the open election
fraud and cheating carried on by the Polish Schliachta
[5]
. They were arrested and had to be satisfied with the fact that they were soon
released from jail.

After the outbreak of the war in 1914, a large part of the population fled to
Vienna. Many of the refugees were later sent by the Vienna relief organizations
to Bruenn. In 1917, when the enemy was driven out of Bukovina, many returned to
their earlier homes and the rest returned after the fall of the monarchy,
although, the occupation of the land by Romania during the period that they
were away, did not make for a joyous homecoming.

At the beginning of the Romanian administration, the community retained a
certain autonomy within the framework of its statutes. Community presidents at
that time were the pharmacist, E. Schecht and Dr. Tamler, who along with Jakob
Stenzler, the court official and the respected Zionist Leon Warmflasch the
community secretary were all instrumental in building the temple. The following
president, Jakob Stenzler was elected to four, four years terms, almost
unanimously. He enjoyed the active support of the Zionist pharmacist Schecht,
Dr. Emil Diwer, the following president of the Zionist Association and Natan
and Wolf Jaegendorf. Thus, the community remained under Zionist leadership.
Yearly contributions for the K.H
[6]
. and the K.K.L.
[7]
were a constant item in the budget of the community. The community's new
statute which the president, J. Stenzler had developed with the changed
situation in mind, was approved thanks to the Minister Dr. Theophil
Saucine-Saveanu who was a friend of the Jews.

A Hebrew school was founded by Emil Schecht, Dr. Tamler, Jakob Stenzler,
Abraham Grossmann, David Segal, Leon Picker, Wolf Tennenblatt, Naziu Warmflasch
and Siegmund Hacker and especially Nathan and Wolf Jaegendorf. The teachers
were Professors Chaim Grossmann and Jampolski. After Wolf Jaegendorf left the
community, the administration was in the hands of his successor, Abraham
Grossmann. The community subsidized the Talmud Torah Association created
through the efforts of Wolf Jaegendorf, Benjamin Stenzler and Abraham Grossmann
and also the Jabotinsky Association, under the chairmanship of its founder,
David Schuster. The former led a model farm on which hundreds of youths
completed the Hachschara
[8]
in order to emigrate to Eretz Israel after a successful education (The
Russians sent him to Siberia in 1941, from where he returned after 20 years).
The community rabbi, Berl Schapira and especially Jakob Gottesmann was well
liked because of his scholarship and his unassuming nature.

Under the Romanian government, at first, preference was given to deserving
bureaucrats. Thus Regional Court Counsel, Dr. Leo Rosen was sent to the high
court in Chernivtsi and the court official Siegmund Stenzler, in recognition of
his service in composing a Durchfuehrungsverordnung
[9]
for the Land Register law was appointed land registrar and office director, a
promotion that in those days, was especially noteworthy. Emil Schecht, Dr.
Abraham Tamler,Dr. Emil Diwer, Siegmund and Jakob Stenzler were members of the
city council. Worthy of mention is the wonderful celebration of the
thirty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Zionist organization, Dr.
Theodor Herzl, at that time under the leadership of Adolf Diwer, at which
a new flag was inaugurated. The community president, Jakob Stenzler, greeted
the numerous guests who had arrived for the celebration, among who were the
former president, Siegmund Weisglas, who was accompanied by his son-in-law, Dr.
Karl Gutherz the Chernivtsi community president, as well as Dr. Markus Kraemer
and Dr. Theodor Weisselberger

Rabbi Gottesmann, assisted by Chief cantor Simche Tessler, conducted the
dedication of the new flag. The celebration was the last glimmer of light
before darkness closed in.

Only a small fraction of the Jews of Zastawna and the surrounding area survived
the catastrophic years 1941 to 1945. The Nazi Germans and Romanian bestialities
extinguished the light of life for this community.

1. Translators note: As dictated by the Austrian government, all towns with a
Jewish population over a certain number were organized as a
Kultusgemeinde or religious community. I simply use the term
community. Jews in small villages were attached to the
Kultusgemeinde of a large nearby town. The community was administered by two
comities, the Kultusvorstand and the Kultusrat whose members were elected by
the tax paying members of the community. The community would collect its own
taxes to support a rabbi and other religious needs. The community also had a
president and a vice president.
return

2. Propinationspaechter is a person who rents from the nobleman or the
government the monopolist rights for a limited region and time to produce and
distribute alcoholic beverages.
return

8. Hachsharah is a Hebrew word and means preparation. During the British
mandate over Palestine, the British gave out certificates for the
right to immigrate into Palestine to people, who could proof that they are able
to care for themselves. When the Zionist youth strived for the Kibbutzim, they
underwent some preparation stage in the agricultural Hachsharoth.
return

9. Durchfuehrungsverordnung are instruction how to carry out and administer
certain ordinances.
return

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